Conventional techniques of controlling a set top box have advanced over the years. For example, infrared remote control devices have long been used to control a set top box. The obvious benefit of the infrared remote control device is that a respective user sitting on a couch need not get up from his current sitting position to physically press a button of the set top box to perform an operation such as change the channel. Instead, as is well known, to control a target device such as a television, the user presses one or more buttons on the infrared remote control device. The infrared remote control device wirelessly transmits the control messages corresponding to the pressed buttons to the set-top box, which then executes the received commands.
Ever since mobile communication devices such as cellular phones have become ubiquitous, they have been more often used to remotely control different types of target devices. For example, a conventional remote control application enables a respective user of a mobile communication device to input commands to a display screen of the mobile communication device to control a respective set-top box and the playback of content on a remote display screen. Typically, the mobile communication device supports WiFi™ connectivity. In such an instance, a user executes an application on the mobile communication device to control the set-top box. The executed application establishes a WiFi™ connection with the set-top box to communicate commands selected by the user from the display screen of the mobile communication device.
Accordingly, using a mobile communication device, and without leaving the comfort of sitting on a respective couch, the user is able to operate the mobile communication device to control a remote device such as a set-top box.